Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson (21) dives for the end zone and gets a first down as Alabama defensive back Ronnie Harrison (15) knocks him out of bounds during the Iron Bowl NCAA football game between Auburn and Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Albert Cesare/Montgomery Advertiser

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn reacts to being dunked after the Iron Bowl NCAA football game between Auburn and Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Auburn defeated Alabama 26-14. Albert Cesare

Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson (21) reaches over the goal line for the go ahead touchdown during the Iron Bowl NCAA football game between Auburn and Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Albert Cesare

Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) dives over Alabama defensive back Ronnie Harrison (15) for a touchdown during the Iron Bowl NCAA football game between Auburn and Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Albert Cesare

Auburn wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers (3) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the Iron Bowl NCAA football game between Auburn and Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Albert Cesare

Auburn place kicker Daniel Carlson (38) hits a field goal at halftime to put Auburn up on Alabama 10-7 during the Iron Bowl NCAA football game between Auburn and Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Albert Cesare/Advertiser

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and Alabama head coach Nick Saban are surrounded by cameras as they greet at midfield before the Iron Bowl in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday November 25, 2017. (Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser) .

Mary Erhart wears a hat covered in approximately 250 of her tickets before the Iron Bowl NCAA football game between Auburn and Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Erhart started the collected her tickets in 1974 when she started at Auburn. Albert Cesare

Steven Leath, Auburn University president, greets Jay Jacobs, Auburn Athletic director, during the unveiling of the Charles Barkley Statue before the Iron Bowl NCAA football game between Auburn and Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Albert Cesare

Charles Barkley looks outside the Auburn Arena during the unveiling of the Charles Barkley Statue before the Iron Bowl NCAA football game between Auburn and Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Albert Cesare

Charles Barkley embraces a fan during the unveiling of the Charles Barkley Statue before the Iron Bowl NCAA football game between Auburn and Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Albert Cesare

Bo Jackson, right, embraces Charles Barkley during the unveiling of the Charles Barkley Statue before the Iron Bowl NCAA football game between Auburn and Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Albert Cesare

Diane Hamilton, mother of Shaun Dion Hamilton, and his girlfriend Jasmine Knight as the team arrives before the Iron Bowl in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday November 25, 2017. (Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser) .

Charles Barkley, right, looks on at his statue during the unveiling of the Charles Barkley Statue before the Iron Bowl NCAA football game between Auburn and Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Albert Cesare

Diane Hamilton, mother of Shaun Dion Hamilton, and his girlfriend Jasmine Knight as the team arrives before the Iron Bowl in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday November 25, 2017. (Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser) .

AUBURN — Three hundred and sixty days have passed since Alabama last lost a football game. The Crimson Tide have won 13 games during that stretch. Eleven of those have come by at least 18 points.

The only one of those games that wasn’t decided by at least three scores was last season’s national championship game, when Alabama erased a 13-point halftime deficit to defeat Georgia 26-23 in overtime. The legend of Tua Tagovailoa was born that day in Atlanta. It has only grown since.

The last team to beat Nick Saban’s team before its most recent run of college football dominance was Auburn. It happened on Nov. 25, 2017, at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Crimson Tide took a four-point lead early in the third quarter, but the Tigers scored 17 unanswered points over the final 28 minutes to win the Iron Bowl and the SEC West.

The question now, going into the 83rd Iron Bowl on Saturday, is whether Auburn can do it again.

“I don't think any team is unbeatable,” senior linebacker Deshaun Davis said. “I don't think it's going to be easy. I honestly don't. I think this has been one of the best Alabama teams I've seen since I've been here, with their offense and their defense as a whole. Of course, some of the players that have played in the past are better than some of the ones there now. But as a collective unit, this is one of the best teams I've seen.

“But of course they're beatable. I don't think anyone is unbeatable. When I strap my helmet up, I'm not going to lose. So 12-0, 52-0, I'm going to make you 12-1 or 52-1. That's my mindset, and that always will be my mindset.”

The circumstances surrounding this year’s meeting between the two cross-state rivals are obviously much different. For starters, the game will be played at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, where Auburn hasn’t won since 2010. It won’t be between top-10 teams, as the Tigers haven’t been ranked since an Oct. 13 loss to Tennessee. It won’t be for the SEC West title, either — No. 1 Alabama already clinched that earlier this month.

The teams are different, not wholly in terms of personnel but definitely in terms of success on the field. Auburn (7-4, 3-4 SEC) blew out Liberty 53-0 on Saturday, but it hasn’t been able to consistently replicate the success on offense it had during a 10-win season last year. The Crimson Tide (11-0, 7-0) inexplicably went into halftime tied 10-10 with The Citadel before winning 50-17 on Saturday, but in its two games before that, shut out LSU 29-0 and Mississippi State 24-0 — two of the four teams that have beat Auburn this year.

Last year, the Tigers opened as a four-point underdog. This year, it was 24, according to vegasinsider.com.

“We’re playing a great Alabama team. We know we’re going to have to hit on all cylinders,” wide receiver Ryan Davis said. “We have to be laser sharp. Everybody had to be on one accord, everybody has to be locked in. We know we’re going to have to play 60 minutes of ball next Saturday.”

The Tigers did that last season. They were efficient on offense in 26-14 win. Jarrett Stidham completed 21 of 28 passes for 237 yards and added 60 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Kerryon Johnson rushed 30 times for 104 yards and a score. The offense converted 9 of 18 third downs, which the third-highest mark the Crimson Tide allowed all season.

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Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson (21) dives for the end zone and gets a first down as Alabama defensive back Ronnie Harrison (15) knocks him out of bounds during the Iron Bowl NCAA football game between Auburn and Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. (Photo: Albert Cesare/Montgomery Advertiser)

Through 11 games this season, though, those areas have been among Auburn’s biggest sources of struggle. Stidham is at 61.6 percent completion even after a 12-for-18 day against Liberty on Saturday. The Tigers’ 141 rushing yards per game against FBS opponents rank 94th nationally. For all their success on offense against the Flames, they still went just 2 of 12 on third downs, which drops them to 34 percent on the season. That ranks 104th among FBS teams.

Alabama’s defense is allowing 169.5 passing yards (10th nationally), 112.6 rushing yards (17th) and 13.1 points per game this season (third) while holding opponents to just a 28.8-percent conversion rate on third down (seventh).

Auburn’s defense (16.6 points per game) is also a top-10 scoring unit, but it hasn’t yet faced an offense at the level as the one led by Tagovailoa, who has completed 69.2 percent of his passes, leads the nation averaging 12.1 yards per attempt and has thrown 31 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Only one team — Oklahoma — is averaging more than the Crimson Tide’s 48.6 points per game against FBS opponents this season.

“I don’t know if there’s some necessarily right formula for it or what it is, but I think at the end of the day, you just have to make the plays,” Stidham said. “You have to take advantage of the opportunities when they present themselves. If you get a turnover, you have to capitalize on the turnover. You know, little things like that. You have to take advantage of those opportunities because against a phenomenal team like Bama, those don’t come around very often. Especially with coach Saban. He has those guys really disciplined. So I think you just have to take advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself.”

No team has done that in Tuscaloosa since Ole Miss early in the 2015 season. Only one team has done it anywhere in 25 games since the start of the 2017 season.

That one team was Auburn.

“That is a little reassurance, because we know what we're capable of doing,” Deshaun Davis said. “I honestly don't think our record shows the type of talent we have on this team. If they want to come out and sleep on us, we'll probably have the same feeling we had last year. They're a good team. Our hands are extremely full. Extremely full. It's a ton of talent, well-coached, and I know they want to win. It's going to be their senior night, and I know they want to send out their seniors the right way. So hopefully we can be a spoiler."